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November 27, 2015

What those ‘diamonds’ on TST sidewalk really were

EJ Insight » Hong KongToday, 4:23 PM

A tiny piece of cubic zirconia (inset) remained on the sidewalk Thursday after dozens of people scoured the area for the 'diamonds' the night before. Photos: Apple Daily, Headline Daily

Tiny pieces of what looked like diamonds were still lying on the sidewalk on Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui Thursday, after a mad scramble for them the night before, Headline Daily reported Friday.

At about 8:40pm Wednesday night, about 50 pedestrians scrambled for the “gemstones” that seemed to fall out of the sky, littering a section of sidewalk outside Manson House, across the street from the Kowloon Mosque.

Staff at nearby jewelry shops confirmed that the “diamonds” were cubic zirconia, synthetic diamonds used in accessories priced at less than HK$10 each.

The staff said police took samples for examination on the night of the incident.

One said the craftsman’s fee to have the artificial diamond encrusted on an accessory could be costlier than the value of the fake gemstone itself.

Jewelry shops normally do not buy diamonds without proper certifications from industry bodies.

No one has come forward to claim ownership of the lost stones.

Police said a citizen handed 11 pieces of the “diamonds” picked up from the sidewalk to a police station Wednesday night.

When reporters returned to the scene Thursday night, no one was looking for diamonds.

A pedestrian found one little piece, only a fraction of the size of a 10 HK cents coin.

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